Date: December 7, 2023,
2000–2100 hours (8-9 pm)
Venue: KICTANet Twitter Space
Background
Online gender-based violence has become a pervasive issue, disproportionately affecting women, especially those in public roles such as leaders, politicians, and influencers. Through the lens of digital storytelling, advocacy, and awareness, this concept aims to humanize these women, who are survivors of online gender-based violence, counteract stereotypes, and challenge narratives that perpetuate online gender-based violence, abuse, and harassment.
Introduction
KICTANet will hold a Twitter space engagement to leverage digital story-telling and advocacy as powerful tools to combat online gender-based violence (GBV) targeted mostly at women leaders, politicians, and influencers. By sharing authentic narratives, the Twitter space dialogue seeks to raise awareness, foster empathy, contribute to a safer digital space, and promote online safety for women leaders and influencers, ultimately impacting societal attitudes towards online harassment.
This shall be in light of the #16daysofactivism of Gender violence and KICTANet’s latest publication: “Unmasking the Trolls: Research on Online-Gender-Based Violence in Kenya.” The research explores the dark corners of online gender violence in its various forms; hate speech, brigading, online harassment, deep fakes, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, political astroturfing, phishing and more. The publication further proposes concrete actions for various stakeholders for better regulation of social media content and the protection of vulnerable and marginalized communities. The recommendations aim to pave the way for a safer digital space for all especially women, who are the most targeted.
https://www.kictanet.or.ke/how-online-gender-based-violence-threatens-kenyas-vulnerable-groups/
Objectives of the Meeting
The objective of the Twitter space dialogue is to:
- Raise awareness about online gender-based violence.
- To build a community of practice on women’s online safety and digital security; and
- Brainstorm strategies to curb online gender-based strategies and promote women’s digital rights.
- Provide a platform and a safe space for women to share their experiences.
Expected Outcomes
- To empower women leaders, politicians, and influencers by leveraging technology for good.
- Raise public awareness about the severity and consequences of online gender-based violence.
- Foster a sense of responsibility among digital communities.
- Use narratives to advocate for strong policies and legal frameworks addressing online harassment, with a specific focus on online gender-based violence.
- Contribute to a cultural shift in the perception of women in public roles by challenging stereotypes and creating a more inclusive digital environment.
Format of the Event
The event shall be a Twitter space dialogue scheduled on 7th December 2023 from 8 to 9 pm at the KICTANet Twitter Space platform. This will take the form of fishbowl and interactive discussions for the audience to ask questions and the panellists; women leaders, politicians, and influencers—to showcase their stories of resilience and the impact of online gender-based violence.
Participants
The Twitter space will bring together relevant local actors drawn from government, the private sector, the technical community, academia, the media, development partners, civil society, and other non-governmental actors for a multi-stakeholder approach. The Twitter space shall also attract women in the digital sphere, women leaders, and other opinion shapers who influence conversations both online and offline to enhance partnerships, the sharing of knowledge, and emerging best practices on women’s digital rights.
About KICTANet
KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested in ICT policy. The network acts as a think tank that catalyzes policy reforms in the ICT sector, and it is guided by four pillars: policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, capacity building and research. KICTANet’s guiding philosophy encourages synergies for ICT policy-related activities and initiatives. As such, the network provides mechanisms and a framework for continuing cooperation and collaboration in ICT matters among industry, the technical community, academia, the media, development partners, and the government.
